Role of sonoelastography in characterising breast nodules. Preliminary experience with 120 lesions.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sonoelastography in differentiating and characterising nodular breast lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 120 nodular lesions diagnosed on mammography and/or ultrasonography in 110 women (mean age 51.27 years) were evaluated with sonoelastography and classified according to elasticity score (S1-S5). Needle biopsy was performed in 104/120 cases, whereas 16/120 were sent for follow-up. Sensitivity and specificity of sonoelastography were determined by taking biopsy findings as the gold standard. RESULTS: Biopsy yielded the following results: 66 benign, three equivocal and 35 malignant lesions. Sensitivity and specificity of sonoelastography were, respectively, 88.5% and 92.7%. All nodules with an elasticity score of 5 were malignant, and those with a score